Music licensing company PPL boosts presence in The Midlands

Business Relationship Executives introduced to promote message that ‘Music Works’ for business

As the UK’s music industry continues to grow from strength to strength, music licensing company PPL is continuing to raise awareness of the numerous benefits that playing recorded music can bring to the workplace. The organisation has introduced two Business Relationship Executives (BREs) to the region - Tracey-Anne Baskerville (South Midlands) and Russell Thompson (North Midlands) to explain the part that music can play in benefitting the region’s businesses.

Both will be representing PPL at numerous business and industry events in The Midlands. Having recently exhibited at the Birmingham Business Growth Show (13 September), both will be attending the Leicester Business Event (3 October) and Coventry Business Expo (4 October) amongst others. The BREs will be working on behalf of PPL’s 10,000 record company and 65,000 performer members, many of whom are from or living in the Midlands. PPL has a large and diverse membership, including major record labels, globally successful performers and record producers, as well as many independent labels, sole traders and session musicians ranging from orchestral players to percussionists and singers – all of whom are entitled to be fairly paid for the use of their recordings.

Tracey-Anne, Business Relationship Executive (South Midlands), PPL says: “It is a legal requirement for any business that plays recorded music in public, as part of what is known as a ‘public performance’, to have a PPL licence, which covers millions of different recordings. PPL distributes the licence fees it collects to its members and does not retain a profit for its services.

“Our work with businesses in The Midlands shows us that people really appreciate the role music plays at work, whether it’s customers in a shop or restaurant, staff in offices and factories, or callers waiting to speak to a call centre.

“This feedback is backed up with results from our recent MusicWorks survey - a joint research initiative of PPL and PRS for Music, who collectively represent thousands of composers, performers, publishers and record companies. The results show that 71.2% of business owners/managers in the region think that music in the workplace makes their employees more productive and two in five (40%) in the region believe that playing music can increase sales or results for the business. Meanwhile, a resounding 80% of business owners or managers surveyed said that playing music in the workplace increases staff morale.”

One West Midlands business convinced of the benefits of recorded music at work is contemporary Indian restaurant, Asha’s in Birmingham city centre. General Manager Domnic Norunha says: “Asha’s is renowned for creating a great atmosphere in the Birmingham restaurant both at lunchtime and in the evenings, when recorded music sets just the right mood for customers and staff. At Asha’s we firmly believe that playing music is a vital ingredient in our business success.”

Russell Thompson, Business Relationship Executive, PPL (North Midlands) adds: “The people we speak to want to find out more about PPL and where the money that they pay for their licence will end up. It can be reassuring for them that many of the recipients are also small businesses and that PPL does not retain a profit.

“As the government continues to acknowledge our world-leading music industry, there is a growing understanding of the value of music within The Midlands business community, which in turn helps us explain the role music licensing plays in supporting the wider creative economy.”